[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 177 (Wednesday, September 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47959-47960]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23049]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration


JTPA Section 402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Standardized 
Participants Information Reporting (SPIR) System; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor, as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden conducts a preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed. 
Currently, the Employment and Training Administration is soliciting 
comments concerning the proposed reinstatement collection of the 
Standardized Participant Information Reporting system (SPIR). A copy of 
the proposed information collection request (ICR) may be obtained by 
contacting the addressee listed below.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
addressee section below on or before November 12, 1996. The Department 
of Labor is particularly interested in comments which:
    * evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    * evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    * enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    * minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who 
are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submissions of responses.

ADDRESSEE: Paul A. Mayrand, Director, Office of Special Targeted 
Programs, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of 
Labor, Room N-4641, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210. 
Telephone: (202) 219-5500 (VOICE) (this is not a toll-free number) or 
INTERNET: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Employment and Training Administration of the Department of 
Labor is reinstating its approved JTPA, title IV-A, section 402 Migrant 
and Seasonal Farmworker Standardized Participant Information Reporting 
system for a period of three program years (July 1, 1996 to June 30, 
1999). This decision stems from favorable experience during both the 
pilot test year (ending June 30, 1995 with 19 grantees participating) 
and the first program year (ending June 30, 1996) since the system was 
fully implemented for all grantees.

II. Current Actions

    The proposed ICR will be a continuation of an existing system 
currently in place and used by all Section 402 grantees as the primary 
reporting vehicle for individuals enrolled and terminated, their 
demographic characteristics, training and services provided and 
outcomes including job placement and employability enhancements. This 
is a request for a reinstatement of an existing collection from a 
previously approved ICR.
    Type of Review: Reinstatement.
    Agency: Employment & Training Administration.
    Title: Standardized Participant Information Reporting system for 
the JTPA Section 402 Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker Programs.
    OMB Number: 1205-0350.
    Recordkeeping: Grantees shall retain supporting and other documents 
necessary for the compilation and submission of the SPIR for three 
years.
    Affected Public: Not-for-Profit organizations.
    Cite/Reference/Form/etc: The collection instrument is the 
Standardized Participant Information Record (SPIR) and Instructions. A 
SPIR Form is provided for optional use in gathering information at the 
grantee field office level. The SPIR itself is a computer file in a 
specified form which is submitted by grantees via diskette, modem or 
INTERNET.
    Total Respondents: 53.
    Frequency: Quarterly and One-Time Report.
    Total Responses: 265 (53 times 5) (There are four quarterly 
submissions per year plus a fifth submission which includes the 13-week 
followup data obtained for individuals terminating in the last quarter 
of the program year.
    Average Time per Response: 3.6 additional burden hours. The average 
time per response varies widely depending on the degree of automation 
attained by individual grantees. Grantees also vary according to the 
numbers of individuals served in each program year. If the grantee has 
a fully developed MIS, the response time is limited to one-time 
programming plus processing time for each response. All efforts are 
being directed towards this end, so that response time for reporting 
will eventually sift down to an irreducible minimum with little human 
intervention. Currently, it is estimated at 3.6 hours per response.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 954 hours. (53 respondents times 5 
submissions times 3.6 hours each=954 total hours).
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): No additional Burden Cost for 
capita/startup as all grantees are currently reporting using the SPIR.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintaining): $265,000 (53 grantees 
times $5,000). As noted these costs will vary widely among grantees, 
from nearly no additional cost to some higher figure depending on the 
state of

[[Page 47960]]

automation attained by each grantee. Comments submitted in response to 
this comment request will be summarized and/or included in the request 
for Office of Management and Budget approval of the information 
collection request; they will also become a matter of public record.

    Dated: September 3, 1996.
Paul A. Mayrand,
Director, Office of Special Targeted Programs.
[FR Doc. 96-23049 Filed 9-10-96; 8:45 am]
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